A Sip of Scotland: A wee look at Scotch whiskys
Listening to Alistair Nisbet, proprietor of the Central West End pub The Scottish Arms, recall his first sip of scotch, it’s hard not to picture yourself headed back home with him, east off Scotland’s Great Glen, past the sullen port town of Inverness locked between the river Ness and the shores of Moray Firth, deep…
Fluff Factor: Just a few simple steps will get you perfect pancakes – and bragging rights
My first apartment was a converted garret in a 19th-century multifamily tenement house, the kind you see all over the mill towns of New England. With dark walls, low ceilings and a total lack of air-conditioning, it had all the charm of a rusty bucket of dried-up paint, but it was mine. My parents were…
He Said | She Said: Diving into the infamous slinger
For years, when friends come in town for the holidays, one thing has been certain. At some point during their visit, they are chauffeured to Eat-Rite between 2 and 5 a.m. and reintroduced to the slinger. D: My wife never joins us in this holiday tradition. In fact she never even had the desire to…
Lobster-Caviar Butter Sauce
• Slowly sauté the lobster body and shallots until the shallots are soft. • Add the vanilla bean, saffron, nutmeg and wine. Reduce by half. • Add the cream and reduce by half. • Over low heat, slowly whisk in the butter until incorporated. Do not boil or allow to get hot. • Remove from…
Maple-Caramel Sauce
• Combine the syrup, sugar and butter in a small saucepan, stir until the sugar is dissolved and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. • Stir in the cream and vanilla and continue to cook until slightly thickened, about 2 more minutes. ¼ cup pure maple syrup ¼ cup…
Spinach and Cheddar Frittata
4 servings
Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes with Ginger-Blueberry Syrup
about 12 pancakes
Caviar Herb Butter
12 to 20
Gingerbread Houses
4 small houses or 3 large houses
Ginger-Blueberry Syrup
• Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve the sugar. • Add the blueberries and ginger; simmer until the blueberries are softened. Remove from heat; stir in the lemon juice. • Purée in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve warm. ½ cup granulated sugar ½…
Gingerbread Pancakes with Maple-Caramel Sauce
16 pancakes
Review: The Rotten Apple in St. Louis
In my six years of visiting the STL’s clubs, taverns and bars for this column, I have easily grown most fond of grabbing a stool and BSing with the bartender. Amidst normal conversation, I inquire into who frequents the bar, what they do and what they drink. The Rotten Apple fits this St. Louis Scene…
Review: Araka in Clayton
Upon entering Araka – the sparkling gem of a restaurant in the new Crescent building in Clayton – for the first time, nearly everyone’s reaction is the same. People step through the door, look up quickly once and then, as the realization of what they have just seen sets in, they stop dead in their…
Basic Savory or Sweet Pâte À Choux
About 5 dozen 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-inch appetizer-size puffs
Parsnip-stuffed Russet Potatoes
6 servings
Copper-studded European sophistication is on view in the Central West End
A bit off the beaten path, ~scape is a newish spot in the Central West End located at the end of Maryland near Kingshighway. Opened by Chicago-based Levy Restaurants in late September, it adjoins sister restaurant Crêpes: etc. Though the name’s a bit awkward in print (not to mention tricky to Google), it is said…
Cheers to a monumental year in Missouri
It is difficult to pare down the hundreds of experiences each year, but the following is my list of the 10 most memorable libation moments of 2007. No. 10: Drinking a Seven & Seven during the seventh inning of a Cardinals/Giants game on 7/7/07 What can I say? Numerology just overtook me. No. 9: St.…
Steven Becker Fine Dining’s Patrick Thirion offers customers a taste of the world
Patrick Thirion is a busy man. As executive chef of Steven Becker Fine Dining, he oversees two Nadoz Euro Bakery & Cafes as well as the Coronado Ballroom and the SBFD catering company. “I started working for Steven Becker two days before Nadoz first opened, and I opened up the bakery because that’s my specialty.…
In the game of pâte à choux, the classical method wins
I’ve often wondered why pâte à choux sits on the bench while puff pastry plays first string in most bakers’ lineups. After all, pâte à choux (pronounced paht-a-shoo) rises just as impressively and with substantially less work. Equally inexplicable is this pastry’s lack of recognition for anything other than cream puffs and éclairs. Yet it…
Turnips, rutabagas and parsnips – oh, my!
“Root vegetables for the December issue of a food magazine? You’re kidding, right?” my friend asked. December is the season for these winter roots, but can they deliver a great taste suitable for a holiday meal? Absolutely. No question. Still, I felt like someone trying to set up blind dates for three homely sisters when…
Delicacy From the Sea: Aficionados sing the praises of caviar
Caviar isn’t what it used to be. Delicious still, yes. Exclusive still, yes. Yet decadent it is no longer. Decadent is spitting it out or banning it for everyone but czars or depleting a fish population to keep profits high. Caviar’s more recent history contains much less excess. The question is, what remains of its…
